Helen Forbes, the director of Tamba - the Twins and Multiple Birth Association - has hands on experience of the special issues surrounding parents of multiple births.

Helen, 36, is the mother of eight-year-old identical twin girls Molly and Lucy. Helen, who lives in Surrey with husband Tom, joined Tamba as a member when she was expecting her daughters in 1995. In 1998 she took on the part-time role of Health & Education Co-ordinator for the charity. This evolved into communications officer and Helen produced a new series of information booklets and relaunched Tamba's magazine. She became the charity's first full-time Director in January 2001.

Prior to working for Tamba Helen worked at the BBC for seven years as a researcher and producer, after graduated from Southampton University and completing a post-graduate diploma in broadcast journalism.

The Twins and Multiple Births Association - Tamba - is a nationwide UK charity providing information and mutual support networks for families of twins, triplets and more.

Tamba exists to enable families of twins, triplets or more to meet the challenge of their unique experience. Tamba provides information and mutual support networks for families of twins, triplets and more, highlighting their unique needs to all involved in their care.

The charity is a membership organisation with over 6000 members, and one of the key additional services for members is the quarterly magazine. Tamba also organises conferences, study days, holidays and days out, and has a team of health and education professionals who take referrals from families with especially complex issues.

Tamba operates a freephone helpline called Twinline - 0800 138 0509 - that is a confidential, support, listening and information service for all parents of multiple births and the professionals involved in their care. Tamba also has a range of specialist groups aim to provide that support.

Each specialist support group has a coordinator who can be contacted initially via the Tamba office. They include Supertwins - for families with three or more children born at any one time; Special Needs Families - for families where one or more children from a multiple birth have special needs; Fertility - for families who are contemplating or receiving infertility treatment, and those who enjoyed a multiple birth following treatment; Infertility Support Group, Bereavement - for families who have lost one or more children from a multiple birth, whether antenatally, postnatally, or at any age subsequently; and One Parent Families.

Tamba has a comprehensive website which offers information and important links at www.tamba.org.uk.

Read the replies!
Helen has kindly agreed to answer some of our members' queries:

• Guest Expert: Separate Classes for My Twins?
• Guest Expert: Benefits After Multiple Births
• Guest Expert: Labelling Twins